A fat person goes to the doctor

“When I was going through cancer treatment, the doctor said: Maybe this will help you lose weight.” A real hoot. Canned laughter. Veronika Merklein sits in the waiting room and casually leafs through a magazine while stories of depression and collapsing from a radical diet are lined up on black slides. For A fat person goes to the doctor, visual artist Merklein collected experiences that overweight people had had in the healthcare system and worked them into a video performance. The stories make it painfully clear that the discrimination of fat people can, in the worst cases, even be life threatening.What Merklein visualizes as a cinematic PowerPoint presentation has now been proven by numerous studies: not only do overweight people suffer from the stress caused by discrimination, they are also often given poorer quality treatment in the healthcare system. Sprained ankle? First lose some weight. High blood pressure? That must be because of weight. The impact of A fat person goes to the doctor develops from Merklein’s unvarying, seemingly indifferent delivery interspersed with artifical laughter that leaves a bitter aftertaste. It’s all just a joke—as long as you’re not the punchline. (Brigitte Theißl)

Trailer
Orig. Title
A fat person goes to the doctor
Year
2024
Country
Austria
Duration
11 min
Category
Artist Film
Orig. Language
Mandinka
Subtitles
english text inserts
Credits
Director
Veronika Merklein
Concept & Realization
Veronika Merklein
Cinematography
Mika Aloisia Sattler
Sound Mastering
Moritz Heidegger
Performer
Veronika Merklein
Assistant
Isabella Fellinger
Supported by
Bildrecht
Available Formats
DCP 4K scope (Distribution Copy)
Aspect Ratio
3840x1080
Sound Format
stereo 5.1
Frame Rate
30 fps
Color Format
colour
ProRes File (Distribution Copy)
Festivals (Selection)
2024
Graz - Diagonale, Festival des österreichischen Films